Packing The Endocnabinoid System

Substance use disorder also has neurological factors, such as dopamine and endogenous opioids being affected by use, creating an extremely pleasurable high (Rosenberg and Kosslyn, 2011). Though, this effect on neurotransmitters creates a difficulty when chronic drinkers try to quit. When one’s body gets used to the addition of alcohol to one’s system their body will no longer produce these endogenous opioids without it, creating intense and painful withdrawal symptoms (Rosenberg & Kosslyn 2011). These factors make alcohol extremely difficult to quit.

Marijuana in the late 1960s’ had only one percent of tetrahydrocannabinol, compared to present day where Health Canada has discovered there is at least 10 percent of tetrahydrocannabinol and 30 percent in some cases. The tetrahydrocannabinol is a strong chemical and works immediately after one has inhaled it. Tetrahydrocannabinol mimics the neurotransmitter anandamide, which fills in the synapse between neurons and this disrupts the brain’s regular functions. In a normally functioning brain, anandamide activates the cannabinoid receptors but when smoking marijuana tetrahydrocannabinol activates these receptors which are in the hippocampus, cerebellum and basal ganglia. This affects the short-term memory, coordination, and learning and problem-solving skills for an individual. Brain development is also affected by the use of cannabis. Dr. Harold Kalant conducted a study in the 1980s’ with rats and cannabis use. He separated the rats into two groups; rats exposed to cannabis at adolescents and rats exposed to cannabis in adulthood. Kalant observed the rats exposed to cannabis as adolescents, had difficulty with memory and learning even after nine years of no exposure. In comparison, the rats who were adults when exposed to cannabis didn’t have long term effects. It is evident that brain development was disrupted by the use of cannabis in the growing years. Also, Dr. Andra Smith saw in her functional magnetic resonance imaging of brain activity of regular cannabis smokers and non-smokers, that the smokers had a more brain activity. She stated it was due to the brain having to work hard to “respond accurately”. It is obvious that brain function and development is harshly impacted by the use of

The body naturally produces these compounds, which are similar to the chemicals in cannabis. Reduction of endocannabinoid production is one reason why chronic stress is a major risk factor in the development of depression. The research team at the university administered marijuana cannabinoids to the rats, finding it to be an effective way to restore endocannabinoid levels in their brains, alleviating some symptoms of depression. In addition, the university that found synthetic cannabinoids activated the part of the brain associated with traumatic memories in rats, preventing the behavioral and physiological symptoms of PTSD. The article notes that depression is such a complex mental disorder as well as alleviating it with cannabis. Because of the lack of testing on the relationship between cannabis and depression, there is no 100% statement claiming that marijuana can help depression in human trials, although there are promising lab tests on rats.

A system was recently discovered to exist in the human body that consists of ligands and cannabinoid receptors. It is called the

Some factors include social, religious, psychological, genetic characteristics and childhood (B. Sadock, V. Sadock, & Ruiz, 2015). Based on psychological theories, low and high doses of alcohol can have an effect on an individual’s psychological feelings of nervousness which can cause an increase or decrease in tension (B. Sadock, V. Sadock, & Ruiz, 2015). Furthermore, psychodynamic theories demonstrate that most individuals utilize this drug to help them deal with harsh superegos and to decrease unconscious stress levels (B. Sadock, V. Sadock, & Ruiz, 2015). Lastly, behavioral theories demonstrate that the rewarding effects of drinking, attitudes about one’s behavior, and reinforcement after alcohol intake contribute to the decision to continue drink despite problems ((B. Sadock, V. Sadock, & Ruiz, 2015). Based on these ethological theories, individuals with AUD can be exposed to various influences which contribute to the onset of their drinking

Another animal model of abuse liability that has provided much information on the behavioral effects of cannabinoids is the conditioned place preference (CPP) procedure. This procedure is based on the principles of classical conditioning and provides an indication of drug-related reward/aversion effects in animals. The rewarding/aversive stimulus properties of a drug assessed under this procedure refers to the appetitive nature of the stimulus as opposed to the ability of a drug to increase the probability of a given behavior (i.e. reinforcing effects). Although methodological details differ among laboratories, CPP procedures typically begin by allowing animals to freely explore two distinct environmental contexts within a chamber, which differ

The [C]raclopride plays a role in determining the extracellular dopamine in the synapse. The theory of addiction is the idea that addictive drugs have a particular nature of releasing dopamine, while psychoactive non-addictive drugs do not. Alcohol and Cannabis have been demonstrated to lack certain qualities associated with inducing the release of dopamine in comparison to [C]cocaine. Figure 2 demonstrates an increase of dopamine levels in the ventral striatum which is produced by amphetamine and alcohol administration. In regards to [C]cocaine, there is a reduction in the radiotracer as a result of decreased expression of postsynaptic dopamine receptors. Alcohol dependent individuals demonstrated to have a decreased number of radiotracers, and cannabis detected almost no changes in the dopamine receptor availability. The article itself suggested that addiction is a complex mechanism that involves external factors such as environment, along with variation in drug reaction from person to person. It was suggested he it was unlikely that a single neurotransmitter could explain every aspect associated with addiction. The role of dopamine is concluded to have a central role in addiction to ‘stimulant drugs; which directly affect the dopamine system, but less so, in reference to mediating the addiction of other drugs – such as

Furthermore, Alcohol and nicotine can also be a cause for heightened brain response to use other drug substances just as much as marijuana. In fact, everything didn’t start with marijuana, but with drugs that are legal for adults in the society, such as beer and wine and cigarettes, and other forms of alcohol. For Further reassurance researchers have found that nicotine makes the brain more suitable for cocaine addiction (Fergusson,

A naturally endocannabinoid in our bodies is called anandamide, which in Sanskrit means “a blissful amide” and is also found in other species including birds, reptiles and fish. Since our bodies produce their own form of “natural THC”, however tiny the amount, it is logical that humans are so drawn to marijuana’s herb! Both THC and anandamide produce their effects through lipid receptors, known as cannabinoid receptors, located on the cell surface throughout our bodies and have similar effects on our experience such as pain, appetite and memory. Cannabinoid receptors are the proteins that sit in the cell membrane and function like gate keepers, controlling which messages from outside the cell to shut down and which to let in. When THC binds

Critical periods are plastic windows during development when the brain is highly malleable to intrinsic and extrinsic factors. In the auditory system, different sound components are found to have different critical periods, some being more studied than others. Although it is proposed that environmental cues together with intrinsic molecular mechanisms shape these plastic windows, the list of crucial regulatory molecules remains open. Endocannabinoids are found to be important for developmental plasticity in visual and somatosensory cortices. However the mechanism of action and cell types involved are not fully understood. I hypothesize that endocannabinoids critically regulate the maturation of critical periods for various sound features during

What this actually points to is the active ingredients acting on the central nervous system and parts of the brain regulating hunger and appetite. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in particular binds to receptors in the brain,

The impact of marijuana on the brain and mind is far less dangerous or consequential than alcohols effects. There is very little evidence to ponder if any of the active ingredients in the plant allowed for human consumption have neurotoxic effects. Two types of receptors exist within the endocannabinoid system; CB1 receptors, and CB2 receptors. CB1 receptors are located in the brain and nervous system, while CB2 receptors are located in the immune system. Specifically in the case of seizures, “there is preliminary research which shows that the cannabinoid, cannabidiol or CBD, raises the threshold for seizure activity within the brain making it overall more difficult to have seizures, and thus providing hope to many parents of children with

Although the medicinal and ceremonial consumption of cannabis has a long history going back centuries, and despite the fact that it is presently among the most widely recreationally used substance, only within the last few decades have the underlying constituents of cannabis sativa and its biological mechanisms begun to be investigated in earnest (Gorzalka & Hill & Hillard, 2008; Akirav, 2011). It wasn’t until the early nineties, with the discovery of specialized cannabinoid receptors and their corresponding endogenous ligands, that the endogenous cannabinoid (eCB) system began to be investigated with renewed scientific vigor (Lopez, 2010; Zuardi, 2008). The outpouring of data, while often times contradictory and perplexing, has lead to some

The principal psychoactive constituent in marijuana, THC, produces the sensation of being stoned by binding to receptors in the brain. One of these receptors is known

Many regions of the brain contain cannabinoid receptors, of which anandamide molecules, concerned with regulating mood, appetite and emotions, naturally bind to. Cannabis contains an active ingredient known as ‘delta-9-tetrahydrocannabonic’ (THC), and when smoked or eaten, the THC imitates the activity of anandamide by binding to cannabinoid receptors on nerve cells, and therefore influences